Not So Prince Charming
by petuniagirl16
Summary: Prince Charming kicked Cinderella out, and wants her back, but with conditions. Will Cinderella comply?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, and thanks for reading! This is my first Fairy Tale fan fic, so I'm fairly new at this. Read and review! Thanks!**

I threw the book on the floor, closed my eyes, and let my head sink below the surface of the water. My arm was tossed haphazardly over the side of the tub. I laid there as long as my lungs would allow, and came back up for air. I looked around the rundown bathroom. The cracked floor had mold growing in between the tiles, the wallpaper was peeling, and the mirror was old and spotty. I decided I'd had enough soaking, and pulled myself out of the tub. I wrapped one of the few towels I owned around my body, and looked at my face in the mirror. I hadn't completely washed my eye makeup off, so I had raccoon circles under my eyes. I sighed, and put my hand over my reflected face on the mirror. I switched the light off, and headed for my bedroom.

It wasn't only the bathroom that was rundown. This whole place was. There were big chunks of the walls missing, and the wood floors were rotting in places. I looked around my humble abode, and tried not to be bitter. I sighed again, and threw my naked self down on my bed, and cried out in pain. I jerked upright, and looked down at the mattress. A spring was sticking out of the bed, through the sheets and everything. Damn. I would have to turn the mattress over later. I couldn't afford another mattress at this point in time. I dressed, and pulled my wet hair back into a ponytail.

I headed for the kitchen, and pulled open the fridge. There was a wedge of cheese, and a hunk of ham. My eyes scanned the counter. There was a half loaf of bread. Score. I could have a sandwich. As I was carving off things to put on the bread, I wondered how long this was going to last. How long was I going to be in this crappy apartment? How long was he going to make me wait for him? Was I going to starve here? No, no he wouldn't let me do that. Would he? I mean, he _did_ kick me out. It had been two months now…oh god, I was delusional. He would never take me back. Not now. It had been _two months._ Two months! He was probably shacking up with some other chick. I mean, he's a prince for god's sake.

But, after all, I'd been in a situation somewhat like this before. I mean, it was slightly different. I had food, and my mattress didn't injure me. But I did have a stepmother and two stepsisters bitching at me all the time. I could take this better than I could take that. I knew they were waiting for me to come back, begging to take my lackey job back, and be at their beck and call again. Well, I hated to break it to them, but that so wasn't happening. I _did_ have some dignity left.

Yep, that's right. I'm Cinderella. Saved by the oh-so-wonderful prince from her horrid situation with her stepfamily. What a crock. Yes, he did somewhat rescue me from my stepmother, and once upon a time (pun intended) I did think that I loved him. And I really thought he loved me. He took me to his palace on his white horse, and married me. He told me I was the most special thing in the universe, and that he would love me till the end of time. He was a liar. Two months ago, he told me that he needed to "think" about our relationship, and whether or not it was going to work out. He also told me that he thought we would both be better off if I left the palace while he thought things out. Never mind that I was broke as an I don't even know what, and that that palace was as big as 100 houses smashed together, and that if you didn't feel like seeing someone, you could avoid them forever. But I guess he didn't want to risk catching sight of me in one of the 7 kitchens, or 150 bathrooms. Whatever.

So here I was, 2 months later, and I've heard nothing. Nothing. No letters, no phone calls, no message by courier. Nothing. I understand his need to think (sort of) but seriously. Give a girl some notice. Don't leave me hanging here! I need to know if I need to make long term arrangements or something.

As I was biting into my sandwich, there was pounding on the door. I rushed to open it, and guess who it was? If you guessed Prince Charming, you're right. There he was, in the flesh. I couldn't believe it. He stood there, looking at me like I was crazy. I remembered the state of my face, and blanched. I hadn't been expecting anyone, especially not him. I slammed the door in his face, and ran to the bathroom. I heard his velvet voice, muffled by the door.

"Sweetheart, open the door. I really don't care if you have raccoon makeup. I've seen you look worse. You used to be a maid, remember?" I got done wiping my face off, and yanked the door open. He strode past me, and into the living room. He gestured to my beat up red velvet sofa. His right eyebrow rose, and there was a glint in his eye. "May I?"

"Be my guest. Be careful of springs though, I don't know when that thing is going to give out. It's been groaning heavily for the last 2 weeks." I said dryly. I seated myself in a cracked green vinyl chair. He lowered himself on to the couch, which screamed in protest.

"I wanted to come here, and talk to you. I…I want to try a legal separation. Just for awhile. I realized that I married you in haste. I mean, god Cindy, I danced with you once. Once!" He looked at me like it was _my _fault he had proposed to me. I told myself to remain calm. But my temper wouldn't be reigned in. I picked up the heavy, chipped crystal ash tray that was sitting on the end table, and launched it at his head. It missed, shattering on the back wall, and startling him. I stood up, and began yelling at him.

"God, Char. Don't you think you could have told me this 2 months ago, instead of kicking me out! I mean, I've gone all this time without a word, and here you are, telling me you want a goddamn separation! What am I supposed to do! I am princess; after all, I do have duties to fulfill, and obligations to attend to! Jesus! I can't believe you! You married me, and then kicked me out. What am I supposed to do for money? A place to live? Food? UGH!" I was so angry that I literally saw red.

"Relax, babe. You can move back into the palace. I'll provide everything for you. I'll eat with you, I'll give you money for shopping, but I won't share my bed with you." He smiled like he was being kind. My blood ran cold, in fact, I'm pretty sure it froze in my veins.

"There's someone else, isn't there? Are you…are you with someone else?" I whispered. I was so cold on the inside that that was all I could get out.

"Uh, yeah. I was alone for 2 months, babe. I couldn't just be alone, that would be weird. And you weren't there, so…" He trailed off. I was about to let loose on him again, when there was a loud pounding on the door. I stalked to open it, and flung it open.

"What do you want?" I practically snarled.


	2. Chapter 2

I flung open the door, and I'm sure I looked just charming. Ugh. I said charming. That's the wonderful prince's name. Who would name their kid something like Charming? What if he turned out to be clumsy, and ugly, and not charming at all? But of course, he turned out to be suave and gorgeous, and very, very charming. Sigh.

Anyway, I flung open the door, and there stood a man even more gorgeous than Charming. He was tall, had dark, short, straight hair, and features that looked like Michelangelo himself carved them. My mouth dropped open, and once again, I was reminded of my less than impressive appearance. I straightened up, and put on a smile.

"I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I'm kind of under a lot of stress right now. What can I do for you?" I used my most lovely voice, the one I used when I was trying to impress Charming's parents stuck up friends at some royal ball.

"Are you Princess Cinderella?" He smiled in reaction to my voice. Wow. He had an amazing smile.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Why?" I questioned him. The paparazzi were everywhere these days. When the press found out I had moved out of the palace, they had a field day. I really didn't want to give an all-exclusive interview right now.

"I'm Kendrick York, and I was wondering if Prince Charming were here? I need to speak with him about an urgent situation." The moment he was finished, I felt Charming's hand on the small of my back. He gently pushed me to the side. I was about to say something, but decided not to. Kendrick looked important, and I didn't want to be seen acting foolish.

"Ahh, Kendrick. What are you doing here? I thought we'd settled everything." Charming looked kind of worried. I stepped back, and listened to the conversation with interest.

Kendrick's voice took on a stern tone. Still polite, but very stern. "No, Prince Charming, as a matter of fact, we haven't. May I come in so that we may discuss this matter further? I don't think the hallway is appropriate for a discussion like this." He stepped into my apartment. Charming looked resigned, and stepped aside to let him in. Kendrick looked around with interest, and then stole a glance at me. I blushed. I knew that this rat trap was not the place for a Princess, and so did he. As soon as everyone had gotten settled, Kendrick began again.

"So, Prince Charming, I've come to talk to you about Princess Sadie. My wife. Well, ex-wife now, since you got to her. Are you planning on marrying her like you said you were?"

My stomach dropped, and felt like it was going to fall out of me. I turned my head to the side, and covered my mouth, as waves of nausea rolled over me. Kendrick turned to me.

"Did you not have any idea of this, Princess Cinderella? Surely you must have known. It's been splashed all over the tabloids." He sounded concerned for me.

"I don't read the tabloids. I try to stay as far away from the press as possible." I said weakly, without looking at him. Instead, my eyes locked on Charming's face. That bastard! There were many things running through my mind, but I couldn't say them in the presence of company. I'd lost my marriage, but I would not lose my reputation. Charming regained his composure.

"Kendrick, perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere. Why don't you drop by the palace around…hmm, say eight tonight. I really don't think we need to bother Princess Cinderella any more with this." Okay, pause. Prince Charming is totally going to say more than this, but I need to get a couple things off my chest. First, did that actually just happen? I thought he said he wanted a separation. He wanted me to move back into the castle! Sounds more like he wants a divorce than a separation. Second, who's this Princess Sadie chick, and what's she doing with Charming? Okay, if this day sucked when I got up this morning, it sucks about ten times worse now. Press play. Charming turned to me. "Cindy, why don't I come here tomorrow, at two, same time I did today, and we can talk this out further? You've obviously heard some new information, and that requires discussing. I'll be here tomorrow." He kissed my cheek, and swept out the door.

I seriously was freaking out by this time. You know how I said my blood ran cold earlier? Well, it was frozen solid in my veins now. What the hell was I going to do? I let the tears I had been holding back slide out. I was not going to go back to the palace. And I was not going to go back to my stepmothers. Nope. I joined the pity parade, and started sobbing, thinking only of myself. I totally didn't realize that Kendrick was still here, until I felt his hand on my back, rubbing it. I turned around. He looked somber.

"I know how you feel; I went through the same thing, only, not in an apartment like this. It hurts when someone you thought you loved hurts you." He nodded his head, and I stared blankly at him, which I'm sure was very attractive. Not. He smiled at me, more out of pity than anything else, I'm sure, but it was heartbreakingly beautiful. He stood, and held his hand out to me.

"Would you like to go for a walk? Walking always helps clear my head when I'm feeling stressed." He looked hopeful.

"I would love to go for a walk with you, Prince Kendrick, but I'm afraid I can't. The paparazzi will be all over you and I and I really don't want the kingdom or Charming to get bad press. It will just bode badly for our relationship." I sighed. The glimmer of hope in Kendrick's eyes died. Then, he did something completely unexpected. He took my face in his hands.

"What relationship? He's planning on asking you for a divorce when he gets you back to the palace, and then kicking you out on your bottom, and this time, he's going to do all sorts of tell-all interviews, and spread lies on your name." His expression was disgusted. I grimaced, and tried to pull back. He let go of my face, and I stumbled a little bit.

"How do you know this, and if you and Charming have an agreement, why are you telling me? I mean, not that I'm not grateful, because I am. Really, I am. You've saved me a lot of grief. But why did you tell me this? I barely know you." My blood went from frozen to boiling when he touched me. I could feel a blush on my cheeks. I knew I had a crush on him; I had since I'd seen him at some royal ball the King and Queen held. It had been a white ball, so everyone was in white, but he was in full black. He certainly grabbed attention that night. But after that, I hadn't expected to see him again, ever, and here he was in my house, grabbing my face.

Kendrick stepped back. "Honestly, I don't know why I told you that. Something, something just came over me. I'm sorry. Charming and I never had an agreement, merely an understanding. He stole my wife, and now, I'm returning the favor." He was going to continue, but I made a face. He realized what he said, and corrected himself. "Not like that! I'm nothing like Charming. Why people call him Charming, I will never know. I've known him since we were boys, and he was always such an abrasive jerk." Kendrick looked at me. "I apologize for my outburst. Now, before you go through any more stress and pain, would you take a walk with me? I'm positive it will make you feel better, and I don't like to beg." He put on his heart melting smile again.

"Alright, fine. But let me clean up before we go. I look a mess." He sat down, and motioned for me to go do something with myself. I practically freaking skipped back to my room.

What was going on with me?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I love all the fab reviews I've gotten, and also the constructive criticism. Ellen Jacee, you can most definitely steal Kendrick's name. I'll really try hard to make the chapters longer, but I'm also working on Mission: House Party for Twilight, and I have to update that on a daily basis as well, and also a story that I'm in the process of writing for fictionpress. As for the beginning, I've been thinking that it's not very eye-catching also. I'm thinking about taking the first chapter down, rewriting part of it, and posting it again. I'll have to think about it. Anyway, thanks, and keep reading and reviewing!**

As I was primping in front of my cracked mirror, I was thinking not about Charming, but about Kendrick. How he was so much better looking and a lot nicer than Charming had ever been to me. Kendrick had an aura about him that made me feel like everything was going to be okay, even thought it wasn't. I mean, come on, the prince of your kingdom married you, and then kicked you out while he dated another Prince's wife. What kind of bull was that? And to top it all off, he's going to invite you back to the royal palace, only to kick you out _again_ and smear your good reputation all over the media. Thinking about it made me angry all over again. I concentrated on taking the hot rollers out of my hair, and applying my makeup.

By the time I was done getting ready, I looked like a Princess should. My long blonde hair was curled to perfection, and my makeup was light and natural. I'd dressed to the nines, just like Kendrick. I came out into the living room, and Kendrick's eyes widened in surprise.

"You…you look great, Princess Cinderella." He said formally. I rolled my eyes.

"Prince Kendrick, please, call me Cindy. Everyone else does." I smiled at him, and he smiled in return.

"Then I insist that you also drop the formality, and call me Kendrick. I'm afraid there's no cute way to shorten my name, other than Ken, but who wants to be called after a children's doll?" He laughed gaily. I joined in. After we were done, he looked at me. "That laughter was so fake, it was painful. I'm sorry."

"All royals are taught to be fake; it's not your fault that you're boring." I nudged him in the ribs, and he looked at me disbelievingly.

"I've never heard a Princess talk like that in my life. It's strangely refreshing. Now, let's go for that walk, shall we?" He took my hand, and pulled me toward the door. It was then that something that he'd said earlier flashed through my mind.

"Kendrick, are you trying to start something with me? To get back at Charming? If you are, tell me now, because I don't like to be used." I said sternly. I really wanted to make sure that I was not going to get hurt again. Kendrick's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped.

"Cindy, why would I ever do anything like that? As much as I don't like Charming, I don't want to get back at him. I would despise myself if I were anything like him. I genuinely like you, and I want to get to know you better. I'm so sorry if it seemed like I was using you, but that is not what I'm doing." His voice dripped sincerity, and I truly believed him.

"Okay, then let's set off on that walk then." I grabbed his hand this time, and we walked out the door together. Just as I'd expected, there were hoards of paparazzi outside. I dropped his Kendrick's hand immediately; although I'm sure someone got a shot of us still holding hands. Kendrick pushed me behind him, and whipped out his cell phone. In about two seconds, a car was there, idling on the curb. Kendrick grabbed my hand, and towed me through the crowds. He stepped aside, and allowed me to get into the car first. Then he got in, and shut the door. The windows were tinted dark enough that no picture taken from the outside of the car would develop. I was breathing hard, and so was Kendrick. Somehow, through all that mayhem, I'd managed to keep a stately smile on my face.

"You were very good out there; I don't think I've ever seen paparazzi like that before, not even in my own kingdom! How do you do it?" Kendrick turned to me, obviously expecting an answer.

"It's a daily thing. I haven't gone out of the house in a week because of it. I've had to keep all my windows and blinds shut, because they'll try to take a picture that way. How do I do it? When I became Princess, they gave me classes on how to do everything; from how to eat a sandwich like a lady, to how to deal with the press. It just comes naturally I suppose."

"What are they going to do with those pictures? Put them on magazine covers?" He sounded incredulous.

"That's exactly what they're going to do. By tomorrow, all the top gossip magazines will have full page spreads of us together, with the accompanying know-it-all article of course. You should get yourself prepared for a scandal. I'm still married, and to be seen in public with a Prince from a different kingdom will read badly for both of us." I thought about it for a minute, and then groaned. "And it will read great for Charming. He'll be put out as the poor Prince who got cheated on by his sham of a wife." I buried my head in my hands, and sighed. Kendrick leaned over, and patted my back.

"It's going to be alright, I promise. I'm going to help you out with this." My head snapped up.

"What?" I looked at him, clueless. Prince Kendrick was going to help me?

"You heard what I said. Charming is, quite frankly, an asshole, and I want to help you get away from him. He doesn't deserve you." He smiled his heartbreaking smile again, and I smiled back.

"Thanks, I guess." I stared out the window, and realized that I didn't recognize the surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Uh…we're going to my house, I hope you don't mind. I have a restraining order against paparazzi. It's been standing for over three hundred years, and besides, I think your kingdom is a lot more active and interesting than mine. You don't mind, do you? I could have my driver turn around if you wish." He looked at me apprehensively. I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. I would love to visit your castle." I looked at him, and he smiled.

"Okay, good, because we're here." He gestured with a sweeping motion. I pressed the button, and the automatic window rolled down.

"It's gorgeous, Kendrick!" I gasped. It really was.


End file.
